Louisiana Buries Jim Crow Jury Rule, Verdicts Must Be Unanimous

Non-unanimous jury verdicts are now a thing of the past in Louisiana criminal trials, after voters approved a ballot measure toppling the Jim Crow-era rule allowing them.

It was one of several significant criminal justice provisions that voters approved Nov. 6, including Florida’s decision to restore voting rights to felons who have served their sentences.

It’s a “great victory for the people of Louisiana and the cause of liberty in our state,” Ed Tarpley told Bloomberg Law after the Louisiana measure passed.

A conservative former district attorney in the state, Tarpley authored the state bar resolution that ultimately prompted the ...